Tank for corn pickers



July 25, 1933- A; c. LINDGREN ET AL TANK FOR CORN PICKERS Filed Feb. 21,1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l y MW July 25, 1933.

TANK FOR CORN PICKERS Filed Feb. 21, 1-950 A. C. LINDGREN ET AL 4Sheets-Sheet 3 July 25, 1933'- A. CJLINDGREN ET AL TANK FOR CORN PICKERS4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 21, 1930 Patented July 25, 1938 UNITED.STATES LLEXUS c. LIN'DGREN, or cHIcAGo, GLE MA R. .RANEY, or nivimsrnn,Armani; 3'.

HITOHCOCK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS/ASSIGNORS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY I .IrAn'K on connr oxnns Application filed Febi-uary 21, 1e3o.swarm; 430,172; y

This invention relates to a grain tank for cornv pickers. MoreSpecifically it relates to improvements in-a grain tank adaptedto bemounted above a corn .picker and to an elevator for delivering the graintoand distributing it in the tank.

The object of the inve ntionisto, construct such an improved tank andelevator and to provide. a suitable drive from "the tractor powertake-off for operating 'th'e elevator;

This andother objects,fwhich will be apparent, are accomplished,asshowirin'the embodiments of the invention shown in'the drawings anddescribed in thefollowingdetailed description. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevationfshewing in outline a corn picker with thetank and elevator of this invention in position, and, .thepower driveshafts and gearing Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same device shownin Figurely Figure 3 is a plan view showing the top ofthe grain tank andthe elevator mecha' nism; i

Figures4, 5 and 6 Sh a modification of the device.

Figure 4 is a side elevation showing diagrammatically a modification inwhich the elevator conveyor encircles the grain tank;

Figure5 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Figure 4; and, TFigure 6 is a top plan view of thestruoture shown in Figure 4. y

The grain: tank and elevator of this invention may be attached to anycorn picker or similar machine to which it is adaptable.

In the drawings, Figures 1; 2 and 3, it has been shoWna-ttached to acorn picker of a conventional design having a main horizontal frame 1,which ismounted' onwheels 2' and is adapted to be drawn by a tractorattached to draft members 3 extending forwardly from the frame. The cornpicker't is mounted on the frame at one side. The

particular construction of the corn picker is not a part of thisinvention and will be referred to only as'a single element of thestructure.

The corn picker is provided with i a delivery'chute 5 throughwhichthegrain a point above a grairrtank 8, wihich 'fis securely 'inonntedandbraced in position at" 'wagon height above the frame 1.' Thetank' may be'mountedfon suitable vertical up rights .9 and braced in positionangularly extending 'members'lO; i

The grainjtank has a suitable capacity, preferablyabout a wagon load,andis .pro-

,vided with a. pivoted .drop' door .11., Thedoor; ll is hinged on thetank at the bottom and isprovided with links 12, whichlimit its downwardniovernent to provide a sloparent was To 7 INTERNATIONAL i AnvEsTIEfB.

the bottom of; the vertical elevator shaft 7. H r

The elevator shaft 7 extends upwardly I ing chute for delivery 'of grainfrom the f grain tank to a alongside 'thefltank 7 An endless conveyor 13extends up the elevator vshaft and over suitable rolling sup; ports. At.the bottom ofthe elevator shaft in the grain receiving box a sprocketroller I4 is mounted for rotation on ahorizontal axis. At the .top oftheelevatorshaft two similar manner, the roller 16 being (posirearwardlytherefrom for a hereinafter described.

oppositev the delivery end of the eleva to'r' shaft 7, a sprocket rollerl7 is rotatably wagon, fwhich is driven similar rollers'15and16 arepivoted in "a i .tioned" vertically above the roller 15 and sof" mountedon spaced anglefbars 18 which exg tend longitudinally of; the graintankfr'o1 n the elevator shaft Ito-the opposite end. A.

shaft 19 extends horizontally 'from the roller '17 to provide means fordriving the roller'and thelendless conveyor which ex} '0 tendsoverit.

The endless conveyorji13 is" of the chain and bucket type. 'Thebuckets20 are positioned on the conveyor in such a manneras to scoop up grainfrom thefdeliverybox 6" at the bottom of theelev'ator shaft and con veyit upwardly. The conveyor -extends horizontally over thetop of thegraintank from th'e roller l5 tothe driving roller 17 with the portionof the. conveyor adjacent" the top of the tank adapted to move in ja ldirection away from the top or delivery end of the elevatorshaft. Theconveyor extends over the drive roller 17 horizontally toward roller 16downwardly the top of the elevator shaft and overthe to the lower roller14 in the grain boxy I As clearly shown in Figure 1, the 21 mounted in asuitable bearing support '22 is adapted to be-driven by-the powertake-off connection" of tractor by which the corn picker is drawn. I

Through suitable universal joints 23 and a shaft 24- power istransmitted :to a horiz ontal shaft 25 for driving the corn pickingmechanism. By means of a vertical shaft- .26 and bevel gears 27 and 28,a: vertical .drive 1 shaft is provided for actuatingthe conveyormechanism. By means ofsuitable universal joints 29 andan upwardlyextending shaft 30, power is transmitted to a vertical shaft 31 suitablymounted in a bearing bracket 32 at the top of thegrain tank. Throughbevel gears provided ina housing 33'1ntegrally with the bearing bracket32, a horizontaldrive shaft 34 is provided for actuating the driveroller-17 through a shaft 85 provided with suitable universal joints 36.

In the operation of this device, he picker i's drawn-by a tractorprovided with a power take-off. Power for driving the pickingmechanismis transmitted through the'shafts 21, 24and 25. The cars ofcorn removed from the stalks by the picking mechanism is deliveredthrough the chute 5 into the grain .box. 6 at the base of the elevatorshaft 7. 1

V the tank.

. The'buckets 20 on the endless conveyor 13 tributi'ng means and dragthe grain toward the opposite end of the tank so that its fullcapacityunay be utilized before-emptying The power fordrivingthevendless conveyor is transmitted through the shafts26, 30, 31and 35 to the shaft 19 of the. drive roller. It is preferable to. drivethe conveyor from theupper end, as a more direct drive is thus obtainedwithout an undue h tension'on the endless conveyor 13.

In the modification shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, the conveyor encirclesthe grain tank. A grain receiving'box 37 is similarly positioned on apicker frame to the box 6 shown in the form described in detail. An

elevator shaft 38 extends Vertically from the grainbox 37 to a positionabove a grain tank 39.. V

An endless conveyor 40 extends up the elevator shaft 88, over a roller41 at thetop "of the tank, and horizontally along the :top

of the tank to the end opposite the elevator shaft. A drive roller 42 isprovided at said end of the grain tank. A shaft 48 extendsver'tlcallythrough the grain tank 39 below the roller'42. At the bottomof the shaft 43 a guide roller 44 is pivoted on a horizontal axis.

housing extending from the bottom" of the .shaft 43 .to the grain box37. r A bearing surface 46 is provided at the junction of A shaft .45completes the elevator the shaft with the grain box 37. At the bottom ofthe grain-box a roller 47,. over a horizontal axis.

Drivingmeans consisting of vertically ex- 'which the conveyor extends,is pivoted on I tending shafts 48, 49 and bevel gears 50 and 51 areprovided for rota-ting the roller 42,'

thereby driving the endless conveyor. 40. TllQ Op6lELf/lOIl of thisformof the d evice is substantially the. same as that of the formshownin Figures 1, 2 and 3, previously de scr bed in detail. The/grainis dehvered into the receiving box 37 by the, picker mechanism and iscarried.verticallyupthe shaft "38 by the bucket 52 on theendless.conveyor '40. The grain is delivered into the end of thegraintank adjacent the. elevator shaft and isevenly distributed toward theother end of the tankwhen the grain has piled upto the top. ofqthe tank.

I It isto be understood that applicants have shown only certainpreferable forms which the, invention may take and that they limitthemselves only by the edclaims.

scope. of the append What is claimed is: J i H v 1. In a corn pickerattachment for trac-.

tors, a supporting frame mounted on a single wheeled axle andpivotallyconnected to the tractor, a grain tank mounted thereon, in

a substantially balanced positionover the axle, a picking unit mountedon the frame,

a combined elevating and tank leveling means consisting of an endlessconveyor extending upwardly from the pickingunit to the 'tankandhorizontally across the topof the tank, a drive shaft extending upwardlyfrom the picker to the top of the tank adapted to drive the endlessconveyor, and means operatively connecting said shaft with. the pickeroperatingmechanism. i Y

2. The combination with adapted to be drawn by a tractor, of asupporting frame mounted on a single wheel supported axle andpivotally-connected to the tractor, a grain tank mounted on the pickerat wagonqheight thereabove and substantially balanced over the axle,receiving means into which the picker delivers, an elevator shaftextending from said receiving a corn picker 7 r the'reabove andsubstantially balanced over the axle, grain receiving means into whichmeans to a point above the grain tank, an

endless conveyor mounted in said elevator and extending horizontallyacross the top of the grain tank, saidconveyor being adapted to becontinuously operated with the portion adjacent the top of thegrain'tankmoving in a direction away from the elevator shaft, and 'means fordrlvmg the'conve or operatively connected to the picker mec anism drive.1

I 3. The combination with a corn picker adapted to be drawn and operatedbyatractor, of a supporting frame mounted on a single wheel supported,axle and pivotally connected to the tractor, a: grain tank mounted onthe picker at wagon height the picker delivers, an elevator extendingfrom said means to a point above the grain tank, a rotatable conveyorsupport at the bottom of the elevator shaft, conveyor supports at thetop of the elevator shaft, a conveyor support at the end of the graintank opposite the elevator shaft, an endless conveyor extending oversaidsupports, and

means for operating the conveyor.

4. In a grain harvesting machine, a carrying frame provided with asingle transverse wheel supported axle, a grain tank mounted on themachine at wagon heightthereabove, said tank being substantiallybalanced over said'axle, a conveyor for elevating grain to a said tank,and means for leveling the grain 5 in said tank, said leveling means;being a continuation ofthe elevating conveyor.

5. ,A corn picker adapted to be drawn and operated by a tractorcomprising in combination with the tractor, a supporting frame mountedon a single wheeled axle and piv-l otally connected to the tractor,pickingj I mechanism mounted on'said frame, a grain tank mounted on theframe at wagon height V thereabove, said tank being substantiallybailanced over said axle, means forelevating grain from the picker; tothe tank, and

means for leveling the grain in the tank.

85,1": In testimony whereof we aflix our signa-

